Fine abrasive tool and method of making same

ABSTRACT

An abrasive handheld tool and method of making same are provided. The hand-held tool can be used to finely sand and/or polish relatively small-scale working surfaces having various contours such as those found on miniatures, models, dollhouses, and the like. The substrate can be a unitary one-piece substrate including a handle and a working portion. The working portion can be continuously tapered along a length thereof from the handle to a tip end. An abrasive surface can be provided on the working portion of the substrate.

FIELD

The present teachings relate to a manual abrasive device and method of making same. More particularly, the present teachings relate to a hand-held tool for fine sanding of relatively small-scale working surfaces having varying contours such as those found on miniatures, models, dollhouses, and the like.

BACKGROUND

Detailed sanding and/or finishing of small scale working surfaces characterized by planar and non-planar profiles, such as those encountered by miniaturists, jewelers, scientists, and the like, oftentimes require the use of very fine or micro abrading media. For example, detailed sanding and/or finishing can require grit grades of 100, 200, 400, 600, 800, 1200, etc. up to and exceeding 12,000 on the Coated Abrasives Manufacturers Institute (CAMI) scale. Thus, conventional files have working portions that are too coarse for properly performing cleaning, sanding, buffing, smoothing, polishing, etc. of small scale working surfaces. Moreover, conventional files have dimensions that prevent access to confined, tight spaces such as crevices, recesses or other difficult to reach surfaces encountered in intricate working surfaces. Similar drawbacks exist with high-speed power tools such as grinders and sanders that can incorporate the use of discs, belts, and interchangeable abrasive devices. In addition, such tools do not offer the desired precision with respect to the control of applied pressure or force of the abrasive working portion to the working surface to be finished.

Modelers and miniaturists, including, prototypers, scratch builders, kit modelers, scroll sawers, dollhouse makers, and fine woodworkers, oftentimes encounter workpieces that have concave surfaces, such as, for example, inside radii. In the past, the fine sanding of such workpieces has required the use of improvised abrasive tools formed by wrapping sandpaper having an appropriate grit around a pencil or dowel. However, such improvised abrasive tools have numerous obvious disadvantages including being inconvenient or awkward to use, providing a non-uniform working portion, and like power tools, offering the user a limited degree of precision in applying pressure to the working surface.

Similar disadvantages are exhibited by abrasive tools formed by abrasive media that is molded, extruded, or solidified as part of a composition to form an abrasive ‘core.’ These abrasive core compositions lack sufficient rigidity especially when incorporating a fine grade of grit. As a result, abrasive tools incorporating an abrasive core composition typically require additional parts, such as a rigid holder or casing for housing and/or dispensing the abrasive core composition.

Accordingly, a need exists for an abrasive tool of simple construction that is suitable for finely abrading working surfaces of varying contours.

SUMMARY

An object of the invention is to solve at least the above problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described hereinafter.

The present teachings disclose an abrasive tool comprising a substrate having an abrasive surface. The substrate can be a unitary one-piece substrate including a handle and a working portion. The working portion can be continuously tapered along a length thereof from the handle to a tip end. The abrasive surface can be provided on the working portion of the substrate.

The present teachings also disclose a method of making an abrasive tool. The method can include providing a unitary one-piece substrate having a first end and a second end. A working portion can be formed at the second end by continuously tapering the substrate along a length thereof to a tip end. An abrasive surface can be adhered to the working portion of the substrate.

Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained as particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of an abrasive tool including a working portion having a conical shape;

FIG. 1A is an end view of the abrasive tool of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is a side view of an abrasive tool including a working portion having an ovoidal cross-section;

FIG. 2A is an end view of the abrasive tool of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is a side view of an abrasive tool including a working portion having an triangular cross-section;

FIG. 3A is an end view of the abrasive tool of FIG. 3;

FIG. 4 is a side view of an abrasive tool including a working portion having a rectangular cross-section;

FIG. 4A is an end view of the abrasive tool of FIG. 4;

FIG. 5 is a side view of an abrasive tool including a working portion having an pentagonal cross-section;

FIG. 5A is an end view of the abrasive tool of FIG. 5;

FIG. 6 is a side view of an abrasive tool including a working portion having a bisected conical-shape;

FIG. 6A is an end view of the abrasive tool of FIG. 6;

FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of an abrasive tool having an embedded support structure in the working portion;

FIG. 7A is an end view of the abrasive tool of FIG. 7;

FIG. 8 is a side view of an abrasive tool having a working portion having a stepped transition from the handle;

FIG. 8A is an end view of the abrasive tool of FIG. 8;

FIG. 9 is a side view of an abrasive tool having a working portion having a maximum radius greater than a radius of the handle at the transition;

FIG. 10 is a side view of an abrasive tool having a fluted handle;

FIG. 11 is a side view of an abrasive tool having a working portion having a curved-conical shape;

FIG. 11A is an end view of the abrasive tool of FIG. 11;

FIG. 12 is a side view of an abrasive tool having a working portion having a curved-square shape; and

FIG. 12A is an end view of the abrasive tool of FIG. 12;

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are intended to provide an explanation of various embodiments of the present teachings.

DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1-10 illustrate an abrasive tool, for example, a sanding device, having a tool body or substrate 10 that includes a handle 20 and a working portion 30 according to various embodiments. The working portion 30 adjoins the handle 20 and tapers inwardly towards an opposing distal end of the tool body 10 thereby terminating at a tip end 40. According to various embodiments, the tip end 40 can end at a sharp point. As exclusively shown in FIG. 1, an abrasive surface 35 can be provided on the surface of the working portion 30. FIGS. 1A-8A show various end views of the abrasive tool 10 looking at the respective tip ends 40.

The tool body or substrate 10 can be made of any suitable material capable of substantially retaining its shape and withstanding typically applied sanding pressures according to various embodiments. A suitable material can be a rigid, semi-rigid, yielding, or resilient, natural and/or synthetic material. Example suitable materials include, but are not limited to, polystyrenes and modified polystyrenes, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resin, polyvinylchloride and copolymers thereof, polypropylene, high density polyethylene (HDPE), closed-cell foams, and the like, or combinations thereof. Other lightweight, medium weight, and heavyweight materials of sufficient durability and having suitable mechanical properties, preferably having a low production cost, are possible.

The substrate 10 can be made by any suitable method, in various regular or irregular shapes, and having various suitable dimensions. For example, the abovementioned materials can be injection molded, extruded, lathed, and the like, to form a preform of the substrate having a cylindrical shape. According to various embodiments, other shapes for the preform are possible. The substrate 10 can have a length, for example, of from about 1 inch or less, to about 12 inches or more. The substrate 10 can have a diameter, for example, of from about ¼ inch or less, to about 1 inch or more. According to various embodiments, other lengths and diameters are possible. The diameter of the substrate 10 can vary or be substantially constant along the length of the substrate 10.

The substrate 10 can be made having a unitary or integral construction according to various embodiments. For example, the substrate 10 can be formed having a handle 20 and a working portion 30 defined therewith. A multi-piece substrate 10 is also contemplated according to various embodiments. The handle 20 can be defined by the portion of the substrate 10, not the working portion 30, and/or generally that portion designed for manipulating, for example, grasping or holding by a user's fingers or hand. The handle 20 can have a substantially smooth surface or can be fluted (as illustrated in FIG. 10) and/or provided with any textured surface to help facilitate gripping. The handle 20 can be provided with one or more parts configured to receive removable and/or adjustable attachments to accommodate, for example, a user with an arthritic condition and the like. The diameter of the handle 20 can vary or be substantially constant along its length. The working portion 30 can be defined by that portion of the tool body 10, not the handle 20, and/or generally that portion designed for abrading a working surface.

According to various embodiments, the handle 20 and the working portion 30 can be arranged adjacent to one another. An interface between the handle 20 and the working portion 30 can be generally defined by an apparent transition in contour of the tool body 10 along a length thereof, for example, a change in diameter, e.g., tapering, and/or by an apparent transition between non-abrasive and abrasive surfaces provided on the tool body 10. The handle 20 and the working portion 30 can be defined by a transition between the construction materials and/or properties. The handle 20 and the working portion 30 can have any desired relative dimensions. For example, the handle 20 can have a length that is from about half to about twice a length of the working portion 30. A center of mass of the tool body 10 can be located at any predetermined location, for instance, to balance the tool body 10 for ease of use or to facilitate handling and/or manipulation. For example, the center of mass of the tool body 10 can be located at the juncture of the handle 20 and the working portion 30, or, the center of mass can be located in either the handle 20 or the working portion 30.

According to various embodiments, the working portion 30 can include one or more support mechanisms to additionally structurally strengthen the working portion 30 along its length. The working portion 30 possesses a durability and strength to withstand various amounts of working pressure applied to a working surface. For example, the material used to form the handle 20 can have a different density than that used to form the working portion 30. For example, the handle 20 can be made of about three pound material and the working portion 30 can be made of about seven pound material. According to various embodiments, other densities are possible. The density of the material in the working portion 30 can be uniform or can be progressively more dense in a direction from the base to the pointed end 40 thereof. According to various embodiments, a support structure 45 having any shape, such as a rod or cone (as illustrated in FIG. 7), can be provided, for example, embedded, within any portion of the working portion 30. According to various embodiments, other support mechanisms can be used. Other embodiments can use one or more of the supports described.

The substrate 10 can be fabricated using the processes described above to form the handle 20 and the working portion 30, or in multiple steps by shaping the preform of the substrate 10 of unified construction and thereafter, forming a working portion 30 by any suitable technique such as, for example, lathing. The diameter of the preform of the substrate 10 can vary or be substantially constant along the length of the substrate 10. For example, the substrate 10 can be formed having a generally cylindrical or prismatic shape from which a working portion 30 is shaped by removing a predetermined portion of the cylinder or prism, thereby leaving a handle 20. The transition in contour between the handle 20 and working portion 30 can be gradual or abrupt, for instance, stepped, as illustrated in FIG. 8 or 9 (shown as having a centered working portion 30, the stepped working portion can also be off-centered).

According to various embodiments, the working portion 30 can have any desired regular or irregular shape or profile for complementing various types of working surfaces. For example, the working portion 30 can have a conical (as illustrated in FIG. 1) or frustoconical shape having the base attached to the handle 20, and an opposing distal end. The working portion 30 can have other shapes having intersecting faces or sections, such as those having a cross-section that is ovoid (as illustrated in FIG. 2), triangular (as illustrated in FIG. 3), rectangular (e.g., rectangular with a prismatic handle as illustrated in FIG. 4), pentagonal (as illustrated in FIG. 5), or hexagonal (not shown). Other regular or irregular cross-sections are possible. For example, FIG. 6 illustrates a working portion 30 having a shape corresponding to a bisected cone. FIG. 11 illustrates a working portion 30 having a curved-conical shape. Moreover, referring to FIGS. 4 and 4 a, a working portion 30 can have a rectangular cross-section having a first section 50, a second section 60 having a common edge with the first section 50, a third section 70 having a common edge with the second section 60, and a fourth section 80 having a common edge with the third section 70 and a common edge with the first section 50. FIGS. 12 and 12A illustrate a working portion 30 with such a rectangular cross-section that is curved.

According to various embodiments, the base of the working portion 30 can have any radius up to or exceeding the radius of the handle 20 (as illustrated in FIG. 9), and the distal end of the cone can have any radius, including approximately zero, to form the pointed end 40 having a sharp point. Thus, the working portion 30 can be used to abrade a working surface having any inner radii up to the radius of the working portion 30. The working portion 30 can taper inwardly from the handle 20 at any desired angle along a length of the working portion 30, for example, from about 10 to about 45 degrees, for instance, approximately 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, and 45 degrees.

The working portion 30 of the various embodiments can be provided with an abrasive surface 35. The abrasive surface 35 can be provided on any portion of or substantially all the working portion 30. The abrasive surface 35 can be formed by applying an abrasive coating to the substrate by any suitable method or technique. For example, a layer or make-coat, including a substance such as an adhesive, can be applied to the substrate by any suitable method, for example, through a dipping process using a suitable solvent, such as acetone, or by spraying the adhesive coating on the substrate. Abrasive particles such as abrasive minerals (e.g., aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, ceramics, garnet, and the like) can be applied to the make-coat. Other abrasive granules of such material as carborundum, emery, and the like, can be used. Other abrasive grains having suitable abrading properties such as hardness, shape, and the like, are possible.

Processes such as electrostatic attraction or a gravity feed process can be used to embed the abrasive material in the make-coat. According to various embodiments, other processes are possible. The make-coat and/or adhesive coating can be cured or dried. Another layer, or size-coat, including a substance such as an adhesive can be provided over at least a portion of the make-coat and/or embedded abrasive material. The make-coat and the size-coat can comprise the same or dissimilar substances. Other layers can be interposed between or provided on any of the aforementioned layers, for instance, a stearate layer. Other processes can be used to adhere and/or coat the abrasive materials to the substrate to form one or more abrasive surfaces 35 on the working portion 30. The abrasive material layer can be distributed uniformly or non-uniformly on the working portion 30 in any concentration, to form an open coat or a closed coat. For example, the abrasive material can be more concentrated in one or more predetermined areas on the working portion 30.

According to various embodiments, the abrasive particles can be of any suitable size. The abrasive particles can be of any suitable standard or nonstandard grade of coarseness or grit. For example, grits of about 80; 100; 200; 400; 600; 800; 1,000; 1,200; 1,400; 1,600; 1,800; 2,000; 2,200; 2,400; 3,200; 3,600; 4,800; 6,000; 8,000; 10,000; and 12,000 on the CAMI scale can be used. Other grits as measured by the CAMI or other (e.g., FEPA (Federation of European Producers Association) and Finishing) scales are possible. Abrasive material of different grits can be provided on predetermined portions of the working portion 30. For example, on a conical working portion 30, grits may vary in distinct longitudinal sections or along the length of the cone surface in a direction of the base to the pointed end 40 (e.g., two opposing sides, etc.), in a uniform or non-uniform manner (i.e., progressively coarser or finer).

For a working portion 30 of a shape having intersecting faces or sections, such as ovoidal, triangular, rectangular, and the like, one or more sections can be provided with abrasive material of different grits according to various embodiments. For example, the working portion 30 having an ovoid cross-section, see FIGS. 2, 2A, can have opposing first and second sections 55, 65 having first and second grits, respectively. In another embodiment, the working portion 30 having a triangular cross-section, see FIGS. 3, 3A, can have a first face 75 having a first grit, a second face 85 having a second grit, and a third face 95 having a third grit. In another embodiment, the working portion 30 having a rectangular cross-section, see FIGS. 4, 4A, can have first and second sections 50, 60 having a first grit, and the third and fourth sections 70, 80 having a second grit. Alternatively, a first, a second, a third, and a fourth grit can be respectively provided on the four sections 50, 60, 70, and 80. Other combinations of grit arrays are possible. Thereby, different working portions 30 are made available in a single abrading tool.

According to various embodiments, a system of abrading is provided including a plurality of individual abrasive tools having a complementary array of grits. For example, a tool set comprising, for instance, four or more individual abrading tools substantially as described above. For example, a tool set can comprise five abrasive tools having conical working portions 30 having grits of 2,400; 3,600; 4,800; 8,000; and 12,000. In another embodiment, the individual tools can have a working portion 30 of one or more different shapes.

Those skilled in the art can appreciate from the foregoing description that the present teachings can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while these teachings have been described in connection with particular embodiments and examples thereof, the true scope of the present teachings should not be so limited. Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the teachings herein. 

1. An abrasive tool comprising: a unitary one-piece substrate, the substrate including a handle and a working portion, the working portion being continuously tapered along a length thereof from the handle to a tip end; and an abrasive surface provided on the working portion of said substrate.
 2. The abrasive tool of claim 1, wherein the tip end of the working portion has a sharp point.
 3. The abrasive tool of claim 1, wherein the abrasive surface is at least about 80 grit or finer as measured by the Coated Abrasives Manufacturers Institute (CAMI) scale.
 4. The abrasive tool of claim 1, wherein the handle is arranged adjacent to the working portion and forms a continuous surface therewith.
 5. The abrasive tool of claim 1, wherein the working portion has a circular cross-section.
 6. The abrasive tool of claim 5, wherein the circular cross-section is curved.
 7. The abrasive tool of claim 5, wherein the abrasive tool has a length and the handle of the abrasive tool has a diameter, the ratio of the length of the abrasive tool to the diameter of the handle being from about 4:1 to about 8:1.
 8. The abrasive tool of claim 7, wherein the ratio of the length of the abrasive tool to the diameter of the handle is about 6:1.
 9. The abrasive tool of claim 1, wherein the working portion has a triangular cross-section.
 10. The abrasive tool of claim 9, wherein the abrasive surface includes a first section having a first grit, a second section having a second grit, and a third section having a third grit, wherein at least two of the first grit, the second grit, and the third grit have different grades.
 11. The abrasive tool of claim 1, wherein the working portion has a rectangular cross-section.
 12. The abrasive tool of claim 11, wherein the rectangular cross-section is curved.
 13. The abrasive tool of claim 11, wherein the abrasive surface includes a first section, a second section having a common edge with the first section, a third section having a common edge with the second section, and a fourth section having a common edge with the third section and a common edge with the first section, the first and second sections having a first grit, and the third and fourth sections having a second grit wherein the first grit and the second grit have different grades.
 14. The abrasive tool of claim 1, wherein the working portion has an ovoidal cross-section.
 15. The abrasive tool of claim 1, wherein the working portion is continuously tapered along the length at a substantially constant angle of from about 5 to about 30 degrees.
 16. An abrasive tool comprising: a unitary one-piece substrate, the substrate including a handle and a working portion, the working portion being continuously tapered along a length thereof from the handle to a pointed tip end; and an abrasive surface provided on the working portion of said substrate; wherein a density of the substrate in the working portion is greater than a density of the substrate in the handle.
 17. The abrasive tool of claim 1, further comprising a support member embedded in the working portion of the substrate.
 18. (canceled)
 19. (canceled)
 20. (canceled)
 21. An abrasive tool for fine-finishing small-scale working surfaces comprising: a unitary one-piece substrate, the substrate including a handle and a working portion, the working portion continuously tapering from the handle to a pointed tip end; and an abrasive surface provided on the working portion of the substrate, the abrasive surface being defined by at least about 200 grit or finer by the Coated Abrasives Manufacturers Institute (CAMI) scale; wherein the working portion provided with the abrasive surface continuously tapers at a constant rate to the pointed tip end.
 22. The abrasive tool of claim 21, wherein the working portion is arranged adjacent to the handle and forms a continuous surface therewith.
 23. The abrasive tool of claim 21, wherein the abrasive surface is provided exclusively on the working portion of the substrate. 